Artwork
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This object is a single painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
This object is a single painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The surface is entirely covered with black ink forming a continuous flow of Arabic calligraphy, bounded by a narrow red margin. At the lower edge a modest blue illustration of a bird, likely a parrot, appears alongside a brief passage rendered in a distinct script.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the page forms part of a narrative composed for a princely patron named Salim, recounting the adventures of a talking parrot. The inclusion of the bird’s image at the bottom serves as a visual cue to the story’s title and reinforces the manuscript’s function as a literary entertainment for an elite audience.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic composition employs a fluid, curvilinear Arabic hand typical of Persianate manuscript production, executed in black ink that fills the page uniformly. A thin red border delineates the text block, while the bird illustration is rendered in a simple blue wash, contrasting with the dense script and highlighting the page’s decorative hierarchy.
History & Provenance
Created as part of a deluxe manuscript commissioned for Prince Salim, the page later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is currently displayed. Its survival as an individual leaf reflects the historical practice of disbinding manuscripts for study or exhibition, allowing the work to be appreciated outside its original codex.
Artist & collection
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
